This former Pelican would make great Manning-like broadcast for NBA

The NFL had success with the Manning-cast on Monday night. Who could the NBA use to create their own version? One former member of the New Orleans Pelicans would be perfect.

Monday night football was exciting for a few different reasons; firstly the game itself was an overtime thriller in which both teams coughed up chances to win. The debut of ESPN’s Manning-cast during this game was particularly fun; Peyton and Eli Manning calling a game from the comfort of their own man-cave/studio was cool to see visually. But what really made the broadcast special was the knowledge both brothers provided while watching the game.

The Mannings would provide some insight into what the quarterback is thinking and saying to their team in a given situation. Peyton even got to pretend to be Jon Gruden for a little bit.  There are some growing pains from a production standpoint (throwing to break in particular) but this isn’t a critique of the broadcast, rather I want the NBA to replicate this.

That got me wondering, who would make a good pairing for NBA games. This has been tried in the past, the Players-only broadcast on TNT but that was scrapped in June of 2019. The problem here was that the players were calling the game following the traditional broadcast template, while oftentimes having very little game-calling background. The players were out of their depth when trying to follow the tried and true method.

What reason is there for changing how things are done though? How many people watch games just because a certain team is calling the game (the Pels have a fantastic broadcast team with Joel Myers, Antonio Davis, and Jen Hale but I’d be watching the games even if they weren’t on the call, having them there just adds to the value)? Most people are watching the game because they planned on watching the game, not because of the broadcast team.

That’s why ESPN has the power to offer the Manning-cast, it’s the only game on Monday nights. Offering a second viewing experience doesn’t mess with their ratings the viewers will either show up or not, it’s literally the only game in town. This is where the NBA can follow suit and ESPN might be the perfect network to carry the broadcast as they already have experience with multiple feeds at one event and the availability of games.

Wednesdays and Fridays during the season, ESPN airs back-to-back primetime games. Wednesday would be my choice as you aren’t competing with nightlife like you are on Fridays. The key here is being the only game in town, the more choices someone has other than watch the game means the higher chance they choose something that’s not basketball. And unless you really like to get after it, Wednesday nights are pretty laid back.

So if the NBA decides to put a game or two on Wednesday night who should call it? I’ve come up with a few options, but let’s take a look and see why the Mannings are so well suited to call a game.

First, both Peyton and Eli are multi-time Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks and the name recognition will attract fans. Second, they are both a good deal funnier than the no-drama-quarterback-never-makes-waves personalities they display during their playing days. But they did make some commercials and tv appearances that showed off a little bit of that funny side.

Lastly, as I mentioned before, a deep understanding of the game. You can’t make it to the Hall of Fame without knowing the ins and outs of offense but also what the defenses will try to counter you with. Peyton was often referred to as a coach on the field and his style as a quarterback reflected that on nearly every possession. This piece is what makes the Manning-cast special both Peyton and Eli can tell you all about the game from the comfort of their own couch.

Now that we’ve looked at what the Mannings’ do well, who could fit that role for the NBA?

I’ve come up with a few options to fill our imaginary booth including a former member of the New Orleans Pelicans.